ConnCAN in Norwalk: Reforms Make Sense

Would you be surprised to learn that Connecticut's top achieving public school students in our wealthiest districts score entire grade level behind Massachusetts'? Or that we are dead last in the country in terms of the results we achieve for our low-income students, while our spending per student is among the highest in the nation?

This is the sobering news that Alex Johnston, CEO of ConnCAN, a Connecticut education reform organization, shared with parents and community leaders in Norwalk last night.   He is talking to groups across the state--he was in Westport and Wilton last month--in hopes of rallying support around legislation that he believes is necessary to improve Connecticut’s schools.

Johnston, a 37-year old Rhodes scholar, focused much of his presentation on low performing schools.  He believes that in order to “fix poverty”, we must fix our public schools.  He presented powerful data illustrating that increasingly high school dropouts are barely getting by and their chances of getting married are slim.

“The first thing we have to do is admit we have a problem,” said Johnston.  “After 40 years of pouring money into education, we haven’t moved the needle on outcomes.  We need to fundamentally change the structure.”

ConnCAN focuses its work around three principals: greater school choice meaning more charter and magnets schools, greater flexibility by making it easier for qualified people to become “superstar” teachers and principals and greater accountability by assessing teacher effectiveness through student test scores.

Johnston said the Obama Administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top grant program is powerful because it finally realizes that state laws and polices are the key to reform.  To be sure, states control local boards of educations and teacher certification requirements.  Connecticut’s round one application for a $200 million Race to the Top grant was passed over by the feds.  The state’s lackluster application had 120 blanks according to Johnston.  Sixteen states made the cut,  including neighboring states, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. Fortunately, states are given a chance to reapply for round 2 in June—a date set strategically just after the close of the legislative session in Hartford.

Currently, ConnCAN is advocating for specific legislation that will shore up Connecticut’s chances of being awarded the grant.  There is already a proposed bill in the House to create a “fast track” for principals in order to expand the talent pool to lead low performing schools.  The State Board of Education is also expected to adopt common national standards.  As of now, each state tests children based on different measures.

Johnston expects more push back, especially from the teachers unions, on legislation to assess teacher effectiveness through student test scores.  ConnCAN’s most controversial proposal is for “the money to follow the child”, which means that per pupil spending will be redistributed based on where a child goes school: in district, out of district or a charter school.   This is not the current system—school districts are given lump sums based on out-of-date data and charter schools are allotted, per pupil, a fraction of what a school district spends per pupil.  Johnston realizes that given budgetary constraints, taking money away schools systems is not going to be easy.

“I realize this proposal is going to be tough to tackle in this budget cycle.  But, our plan is to roll this out over four years.”
 
While Johnston wants to win RTTT funding, he says getting the grant is about more than the money.  “If we are to have any chance of fixing our schools, these changes and laws need to happen regardless of the money.  These reforms just make sense.”